TY - JOUR
T1 - Internet addiction and its relationship with food choice motives and the risk of eating disorders among young adults in Malaysia
AU - Mohammad Johari, Muhammad Haziq
AU - Tan, Seok Tyug
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.
PY - 2024/3/7
Y1 - 2024/3/7
N2 - The COVID-19 lockdown measures have dramatically altered the daily routines of young adults. Therefore, this study aims to elucidate the relationships between internet addiction, food choice motives and the risk of eating disorders in young adults during the transition to the endemic phase of COVID-19. The Internet Addiction Test was utilised to evaluate the presence and severity of internet addiction among young adults. The Food Choice Questionnaire was employed to assess the food choice motives of young adults, while the risk of eating disorders was determined using the Eating Attitude Test-26. The relationships between internet addiction, food choice motives, and the risk of eating disorders were assessed using model 4 of the PROCESS macro for SPSS. The findings indicated that 29.0% of young adults experienced moderate-to-severe internet addiction, whereas 32.6% were at risk of eating disorders. Young adults were highly valued for the price, sensory appeal, and mood when deciding food choices. The relationship between internet addiction and the risk of eating disorders was partially mediated by convenience (b = − 0.211, SE = 0.140, − 0.548 to − 0.016) and familiarity (b = 0.219, SE = 0.122, 0.019 to 0.494). A significant direct effect was also observed between internet addiction and the risk of eating disorders (B = 0.793, p = 0.017). There is an urgent need to implement intervention strategies aimed at reducing problematic internet use, promoting healthier food choices, and fostering healthy eating habits among young adults.
AB - The COVID-19 lockdown measures have dramatically altered the daily routines of young adults. Therefore, this study aims to elucidate the relationships between internet addiction, food choice motives and the risk of eating disorders in young adults during the transition to the endemic phase of COVID-19. The Internet Addiction Test was utilised to evaluate the presence and severity of internet addiction among young adults. The Food Choice Questionnaire was employed to assess the food choice motives of young adults, while the risk of eating disorders was determined using the Eating Attitude Test-26. The relationships between internet addiction, food choice motives, and the risk of eating disorders were assessed using model 4 of the PROCESS macro for SPSS. The findings indicated that 29.0% of young adults experienced moderate-to-severe internet addiction, whereas 32.6% were at risk of eating disorders. Young adults were highly valued for the price, sensory appeal, and mood when deciding food choices. The relationship between internet addiction and the risk of eating disorders was partially mediated by convenience (b = − 0.211, SE = 0.140, − 0.548 to − 0.016) and familiarity (b = 0.219, SE = 0.122, 0.019 to 0.494). A significant direct effect was also observed between internet addiction and the risk of eating disorders (B = 0.793, p = 0.017). There is an urgent need to implement intervention strategies aimed at reducing problematic internet use, promoting healthier food choices, and fostering healthy eating habits among young adults.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Disordered eating
KW - Food choice motives
KW - Internet addiction
KW - Young adults
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85187188452&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41598-024-56050-0
DO - 10.1038/s41598-024-56050-0
M3 - Article
C2 - 38454136
AN - SCOPUS:85187188452
SN - 2045-2322
VL - 14
JO - Scientific Reports
JF - Scientific Reports
IS - 1
M1 - 5643
ER -